TULUNGAGUNG – An illegal fertilizer distribution scheme in Tulungagung has led to the arrest of a man accused of selling unlicensed agricultural products to local farmers. Police say the suspect earned around Rp 40,000 in profit from every sack he sold.
The Tulungagung Police Criminal Investigation Unit uncovered the operation after receiving public reports about suspicious fertilizer sales in March 2026.
Authorities later identified the suspect as PRW, 40, a resident of Kademangan District in Blitar Regency. Investigators accused him of distributing fertilizer under the brand name “Poska” without official circulation permits from Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture.
Tulungagung Police Criminal Investigation Chief Andi Wiranata Tamba said officers launched an investigation through the Special Crimes Unit. Investigators also used an undercover purchase operation to confirm the illegal sales activity.
“Officers secured around 40 sacks of illegal fertilizer during the transaction,” Andi said.
Police later traced the products to a storage warehouse on Jayeng Kusuma Street in Tapan Village, Kedungwaru District. Investigators found that the suspect had ordered around seven tons of fertilizer from a factory in Gresik since August 2024.
According to police, the suspect specifically requested the manufacturer to produce fertilizer using the “Poska” brand. However, the factory reportedly held legal permits only for fertilizer marketed under the “Grand Matok” label.
Investigators believe the suspect used the fake branding to gain personal profits while bypassing legal distribution requirements.
“Tersangka mencari keuntungan pribadi dengan menjual pupuk yang tidak memiliki legalitas edar sesuai ketentuan,” Andi said.
Laboratory tests in Surabaya later showed that the fertilizer failed to meet Indonesian National Standard (SNI) quality requirements. Officials warned that the substandard products could harm farmers because the nutrient content did not match regulated standards.
Police said the suspect bought the non-subsidized fertilizer for Rp 70,000 per sack from the producer. He later resold the products to farmers and buyers in Tulungagung for Rp 110,000 per sack.
Besides the fertilizer, investigators also confiscated transaction receipts, bank account records, and company legal documents from the manufacturer in Gresik.
Meanwhile, PT Pupuk Indonesia account executive for the Kediri Raya region, Farhan Mustofa, confirmed that the seized fertilizer did not belong to the company’s official products.
He explained that official fertilizer products use the brand name “Phonska” with an additional letter “N” and include a valid distribution permit from the Ministry of Agriculture.
“If the product is official, it uses the name ‘Phonska’ and has a clear distribution permit,” Farhan said.
PRW now remains in custody at Tulungagung Police headquarters. Prosecutors charged him under Indonesia’s Sustainable Agricultural Cultivation Law. He faces up to six years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp 3 billion.